Atlanta-area megapastor Eddie Long, proprietor of the wonderful Cross It Up dance and reported loan defaulter, isn’t just accused of helping scam his parishioners out of their homes. He also brought in “financial experts” from City Capital Corp into his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, who convinced some 20 members of Long’s congregation to “invest” their life savings. Those investments, as you might’ve guessed, have simply tanked — and now Long is taking to the web to try and convince City Capital’s CEO Ephren Taylor to give the cash back. Except Taylor isn’t even the company’s CEO anymore; he resigned, and was replaced by Jeff M. Smuda. Hah!

In the video, posted Sunday night, Long claims he didn’t receive any payments from the financial company for access to his church. But that’s bull, says Taylor (pictured, below) in a statement to, ahem, PimpPreacher.com.

I visited with Bishop Eddie L. Long in late 2009 prior to bringing my Wealth Tour Live to New Birth, with hopes
of inspiring and empowering the congregation in business through seminars and making my book, Creating
Success from the Inside Out, available to all attendees. The church received a percentage of product sales, and
stated their intent to sell video from the presentations. I also operated on Bishop Long’s behalf to secure certain
media opportunities for him. Members of City Capital Corporation were in attendance, and subsequently,
members of the church elected to partner with the company on community project opportunities across the country
that aid in creating jobs and stimulate local community-based projects. Even after my departure last year as CEO
of City Capital Corporation, there has been consistent communication between myself and Elder Maurice
Waddell, Chief Operating Officer at New Birth, of which there is ample tracked phone and email correspondence.

For what it’s worth, seeing some of his parishioners lose their life savings — at least one is about to lose a home to foreclosure — “touches my heart deeply.” That’s different from touching him other places deeply.

The thing is megachurches brain wash people. They are like cults. My own grandparents have given more money than I probably know about to Robert Tilton, and we live right by where Jim and Tammy Faye Baker’s PTL place is…I’d be willing to bet my family has parted with tens of thousands of dollars because of these people. They truly believe they will be saved, and that men and women of the Lord would never take advantage of them. If I hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, I’d simply think they were morons too….but, they’ve been hoodwinked. Couple that with a ridiculously blind, deep faith in their religion, and they are ripe for scamming.

Never do business with a religious person in America who represents a congregation. They are tax free, and take huge pains to convince any potential partners in their insane community action business proposals that they speak the language of risk and reward. It is all lies, as it has to be to be conceived of in the first place. Pretty soon they will be corps, and won’t have to disclose their legal standing as credentials will be opaque. It’s called feudalism.

seen the glitz, had the beauty, and expended through enough hurting to earn his stripes as an

“Elite Entrepreneur.” Actress has started or acquired over 100 businesses in his 16 twelvemonth

business line that started when he was a 12 period old that fashioned a videogame because his

parents couldn’t give to buy him one…

Feb 26, 2011 at 4:54 am · @Reply ·

shannon

The Law Firm of Lurie & Park, at 11766 Wilshire Boulevard in west Los Angeles, California, is preparing to file suit against the responsible parties. If you have any information on this matter or if you would like to inquire about the possibility of representation, feel free to call (310) 478-7788, or e-mail barak@lurie-law.com.